In a certain mysterious space.
There was no sun here, the dome above shone with a hazy light, and white fog filled the air.
It was just like the early morning hours.
In this space, palaces and pavilions stood tall, and attics towered high.
But upon closer inspection, it became apparent that these intricately carved structures were somewhat ancient, bearing patchy traces of age as if they long hadn't seen any maintenance.
Apart from a few small buildings in the back which still had regular inhabitants, the other areas had been abandoned for quite some time.
outside a certain palace,
several Awakeners of the Rhino Mercenary Corps were boringly waiting, occasionally casting glances towards the tightly shut deep red gates.
"Boss, when can we finally leave this place? If we keep waiting , others will far surpass our strength!" someone sighed.
They had been in this mysterious space for a month already.
Initially, inside a certain cave, they had discovered this hidden passageway to the Secret Realm and were ecstatic upon finding the majestic palace.
An adventure that belonged solely to the Rhino Mercenary Corps!
Once they gained the treasures within the palace, becoming Boss Level figures and surpassing the top Mercenary Corps would no longer be just a dream.
their dream lasted less than a few minutes before a few people who came out of the palace pinned them to the ground and rubbed their faces in the dirt.
Especially an old man with a withered face who appeared to be on his deathbed, yet he displayed a devastating power that crushed the sky and shattered the earth.
Their thoughts of resistance were immediately extinguished; they could only honestly stay put, and that stay extended to a month.
The boss of the Rhino Mercenary Corps, in his thirties or forties with a burly appearance, was a Transformation series ability user. When he transformed, a single horn grew on the top of his head, granting him immense strength—it was a rare Transformation akin to a Rhino-man.
...Or maybe even a Unicorn.
The Rhino Boss frowned slightly, "Shush. As soon as that Great Sacrificial Officer has his breakthrough, we'll naturally follow and leave. Think positively, those people haven't killed us yet, which means they must have some use for us. This is also our opportunity..."
"The boss is right, those guys are too terrifying. I think they're far beyond the strongest of the Lindong Sanctuary. Especially that old man," the speaker glanced at the gate, "so powerful he doesn't seem human. The apocalypse has only been going on for a few months, how did they become so strong?"
"They're not the same as us." someone scoffed, "Maybe they're a hidden family or a hidden Sect, that's why they're so powerful. Isn't that what they say in the novels?"
"Scram, scram, scram!"
The Rhino Boss looked around and lowered his voice, "They claim to be from the Royal Family of Nanlin Country. Historically, has there ever been such a country?"
"Probably not, and don't forget, at first our languages were not even mutually intelligible."
The others suddenly shivered.
Back when they were first pinned to the ground, begging for mercy, the old man's gaunt palm reached for one of them, grabbed his skull, and without any visible action, their companion was lifeless. In the next moment, the old man mastered their language.
It was as if he had gleaned everything from their souls.
They were silent for a while when, intending to say something, the Rhino Boss was interrupted by a burst of mad laughter coming from within the palace.
"I've broken through, I have broken through, hahahaha—"
The deep red gate remained closed.
The members of the Mercenary Corps suddenly looked up, only to see the elder above the hall, floating and slowly rising.
Around him, endless Source Qi frantically converged towards the elder, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, forming a massive vortex by his side.
the elder took a step forward as if he had just completed an ascension.
He trod the Void with each step forward; with every step he took, his withered visage visibly rejuvenated, his dry white hair becoming black and glossy.
Until at last, he transformed into a man in his early thirties.
The elder... The Great Sacrificial Officer stood mid-air, looking at his own palms, feeling the surging vitality within, and could not contain his joy.
"This is indeed the era of the prophecy. I have not waited all these years in vain; finally... finally, I have stepped into this realm. From now on, I transcend the ordinary!"
In another part of the hall, the 'indigenous people' of the Secret Realm also heard the commotion and quickly ran out.
"Congratulations, Great Sacrificial Officer, our best wishes to you!"
"Congratulations, Great Sacrificial Officer, our best wishes to you!"
Among the 'indigenous people,' an old butler with speckled hair was leading a seven- or eight-year-old child to the Great Sacrificial Officer, tears streaming down his face, "You have finally stepped into that legendary realm. Our Nanlin Country has hope for restoration!"
The others were equally excited.
They were all members of the Royal Family of Nanlin Country, decaying generation by generation in the Secret Realm, finally holding on to the great era prophesied.
Now that their Great Sacrificial Officer had become Transcendent, had become legendary, not only could they restore their kingdom, they might even go further and touch upon their former glory.
A few people gathered around the Great Sacrificial Officer.
At this moment, the now young-looking Great Sacrificial Officer's lips curled slightly, as if in mockery, "Restore the kingdom, who said I wanted to restore the kingdom?"
"Great, Great Sacrificial Officer, what are you saying?"
The old butler with speckled hair recoiled a step, as if struck by lightning.
The Great Sacrificial Officer glanced at him, "I am now Transcendent. The world is vast; where can't I go? Who has time to play your little restoration game? Have you not seen how many of the so-called Royal Family of Nanlin are left?"
"But you, too, are a member of the Royal Family—"
"I once was." He glanced at those from the Rhino Mercenary Corps, "Times have changed. Now, a nation called Daxia rules this land. Even the Ancient Spirit Dynasty is no more. The hassle of restoration... you 'Mercenary Corps,' follow me."
The Great Sacrificial Officer had long understood the outside world through the Rhino and others.
Demonized Beasts posed a danger to ordinary people, but posed no threat to him who had broken through to the Transcendent Tier. Technological weapons...were somewhat interesting, but that's all they were, somewhat interesting.
The dawn of the Fifth Epoch, the great era of the prophecy, was upon them. For him, being Transcendent was just the beginning, so why would he waste time on something as trivial as restoring a country.
The butler with speckled hair rushed forward, blocking his way, "You can't do this. Don't forget your oath. The Royal Family exhausted its wealth to aid your breakthrough. Now that you have become Transcendent, you are reneging on your word. You, you—"
The butler couldn't continue as the Great Sacrificial Officer grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.
The butler, who also had an awakening of the twelfth layer, was simply grabbed by the neck and felt suffocated—not physically, but spiritually. In the face of the Transcendent's oppressive might, he was as insignificant as a grasshopper.
The Great Sacrificial Officer threw the butler aside, "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let it slide. But..." his gaze turned cold, "if there is a next time, I will not be so lenient. If you want to play at restoring the country, go ahead on your own, and don't bother me."
Tang Yu sat in the main seat of the castle hall, listening to the reports from Luo Zhe and Chen Haiping and others below.